William e



( NoModelJ W. E. TLMERRILL.

SUSPENDER. BUCKLE. No. 295,035. 7 "PatentedlMar. 11,1884.

iiZiiuss Awa W v1 horizontal section on line a: m of Fig. l.

WILLIAM E. T..MERRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVAN JOHN W. BRUFF, OF SAME PLACE.

NITE STA-ri s Parent IA, ASSIGNOR TO SUSPENDER-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,035. dated March 11,1884,

Application filed January 22,1984.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM E. 'I. MER- RILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bus pender'Buckles and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which fornipart of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a face view of my improved buckle. Fig. 2 is a back view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section. Fig. 4 is a Fig. 5 is a p]an view of the blank for the buckleframe, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the blank for the tongue.

This invention has relation to suspenden buckles, and has for its object the provision of a buckle of novel construction, wherein the suspender cloth or web will be held. in place by the conjoint pressure of a spring-clamp and a flanged tongue, while remaining susceptible of ready adjustment, and thenecessity of a toothed or-serrated' fastening, which has many disadvantages, entirely dispensed with.-

In suspender-buckles as commonly used, it is customary to employ an unyielding metallic frame, with a toothed or serrated oted thereto, while various expedients serve as the means of attachment of the suspenderstraps, the buckle-frame constituting the part to which the straps are attached. Where a i 3 5 toothed or serratedtongue is used, it is'more or less objectionable, because it is not only troublesome to adjust and fasten, but is a source of injury and disfigurement to fine goods. In the employment of a plain-edged 4o tongue, as the same has been applied, it has heretofore been found difficult to render the tongue effective as a fastening. This difliculty has been owing to the peculiar relation of the tongue to the other parts of the buckle, and

the absence of any expedient to re-enforce the delicate pressure which the tongue obtains on the web.

My improvement contem these disadvantages,

and hence it consists plates obviating as well as many others; in the novel construction tongue pivclamp to embrace and, with the frame is made from suitable metal,

(X0 model.)

of the buckle frame and tongue, wherein the prominent features are. first, a buckle-frame made of sheet metal struck up or bent into shape, and formed with a yielding springthe tongue, bind the web or suspender-cloth and hold it firml in place; second, a flanged plain-edged buckletongue constructed and adapted for the attachment of the suspender-straps, and formed so as to rest in a slot in the back part of the buckle-frame, and impinge upon and bind the snspender cloth or web between its flange and the spring-clamp of the frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates the buckle-frame, made by stamping or cutting from a sheet of metal the blank shown in Fig. 5, and then striking up or bending inwardly the wings a at until their edges ct a are brought close together, and an elongated narrow space, I), is left between the wings and the front part, c. Slots (Z d are produced for the passage of the suspender-web, and a slot or opening, 6, is formed in the front part, c, for the reception of the tongue. Vhen the wings a a are elastic, and when bent as shown produce a-spring-clamp which will yield from inside pressure, but which will exert a binding force or pressure inwardly against the web.

The tongue H is also cut or stamped from sheet metal, producing the blank shownin Fig. 6, which is afterward bent so as to have the flange h at a rightangle with the plate It.

A loop or eye is formed at h for the attach ment of the suspender-straps. The completed 8 5 tongue and frame are fitted together so as to bring the flanged portion within the space I), while the loop or eye portion depends outside. The web or suspender-clothis attached by passing it through the two slots (Z d, and then 0 down through the space I), the tongue being raised or turned so as to leave the space b open. Now, by turning thetongue down, the edge of the flange h is brought to impinge against the web, the clamp yielding so as to al- 5 low the flange to occupy the full normal width of the space 12. In this way the spring-pressure is brought into effect and the web tightly held between the clamp and the tongue. The tendency of any pull in the direction of the length of the web is to render the fastening l more secure; hence, when the suspender is on the wearer, the strain on the former has no tendencyto loosen the fastening of the buckle, but, if anything, tends to increase it.

To adjust the suspender, all that is necessary is to lift the tongue, when the web, being released, can be drawn freely through the space I).

\Vhat I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. A suspender-buclzle having a frame or how formed with a spring-clamp, divided at its center and integral therewith, and adapted to embrace and bind the web or suspendercloth, substantially as described.

9. In a suspender-buckle, the combination, with a frame or bow having a spring-clamp to embrace the web or suspender-cloth, and slotted to receive a tongue, of a buckle-tongue adapted for the attachment of the suspenderstraps, and having-a flanged edge or lip to impinge upon the web or cloth and hold it against the clamp, substantially as described.

3. The buckle frame or bow consisting of the metallic plate A, struck up or bent into shape, and having the inwardly-turned leaves or wings a a, forming a clamp spring or springs, and forming the elongated space I), substantially as described.

4. The combination of the bucl;1e-frame, consisting of the plate A, provided with i11- wardly-bent elastic clamp-arms a. a, and having the slot 0, and the movable tongue H, fitting and working in said slot, and formed with the flange or lip 71, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of January, 1884.

\VILLIAM E. T. MERRILL.

Vitnesses:

Tnos. A. CONNOLLY, ANDREW Zn'n, Jr. 

